Visual aid device

ABSTRACT

A IMPROVED VISUAL DEVICE OF THE &#34;FLIP CHART&#34; TYPE EMPLOYING A PLURALITY OF CONCENTRICALLY DISPOSED FLAT CHANNELED GUIDES SUPPORTING DISPLAY SHEETS IN A MANNER TO SLID FROM A REARWARD STORED POSITION TO A FORWARD POSITION IN ENGAGEMENT WITH AN INCLINED BACKING SURFACE. THE EDGES OF THE CHANNELED GUIDES PROVIDE MEANS FOR STOCKING AND ALIGNING THE SAME, AND ARE SECURED TOGETHER BY CLAMP MEANS AT THE ENDS THEREOF. FORWARD AND REAR   EDGES OF THE DISPLAY SHEETS ARE PROVIDED WITH STIFFENING STOP MEMBERS, WITH THE FORWARD STOP MEMBERS SUITABLY INCLUDING INDEXING TABS, AND THE REAR STOP MEMBERS BEING SUFFICIENTLY WEIGHTED TO PULL THE SHEETS THROUGH THE CHANNELED GUIDES WHEN THE FRONT EDGES ARE LIFTED FROM THE INCLINED BACKING SURFACE.

Oct. 12, 1971 D. BAARS VISUAL AID DEVICE Filed Aug. 15, 1969 INVENTOR. D15 TH? Ban/Q5 ATTORNEY United States v US. Cl. 40-65 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved visual aid device of the flip chart type employing a plurality of concentrically disposed fiat channeled guides supporting display sheets in a manner to he slid from a rearward stored position to a forward use position in engagement with an inclined backing surface. The edges of the channeled guides provide means for stocking and aligning the same, and are secured together by clamp means at the ends thereof. Forward and rear edges of the display sheets are provided with stiffening stop members, with the forward stop members suitably including indexing tabs, and the rear stop members being sufficiently weighted to pull the sheets through the channeled guides when the front edges are lifted from the inclined backing surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Teachers, lecturers, salesmen, scientists and many other groups wishing to communicate with others have long resorted to the use of such visual aid devices as blackboards or similar large display and writing surfaces, and flip charts in which a plurality of display sheets are mounted on a unitary support and may be used interchangeably by flipping or folding sheets over the top of the support. The use of blackboards and the like has limitations due to the wall space needed for any extensive presentation. Flip charts have therefore found increasing use with display panels which may be illustrated in advance or may be written or drawn upon by the user as he develops his presentation. Flip charts are inherently awkward to use, however, due to the difficulty of folding sheets, which can be quite large, over the top of a support, and it isp articularly diflicult to refer back to the sheets previously used. In addition, when Writing or drawing on such display sheets, there is a considerable problem of smudging or distorting the writings as the sheets are flipped back and forth. T here is, therefore, a distinct need for visual aid devices of the flip chart type which are free of the drawbacks above mentioned.

THE INVENTION The improved visual aid device in accordance with the present invention, and which might be termed a flip chart, not only overcomes the drawbacks of the conventional flip charts, but provides a versatility of use which has heretofore been unknown in visual aid devices. Regarded in certain of its broader aspects, the new visual aid device comprises a plurality of concentrically disposed fiat channeled guides slidably supporting display sheets having stiffening stop members at forward and rear edges thereof to restrict movement through said guides, said guides being mounted at the upper portion of a backing member disposed forwardly of said guides, and means associated with said backing member for supporting the same in a generally vertical and slightly inclined position when in use. Edges of the channeled guides permit the close stacking thereof, and suitably include interlocking means to facilitate such stacking in initial assembly as well as facilitating the interchange of display sheets supported in the device. The stacked and aligned guides are suitably supported in assembled position by clamp means at the ends of the device.

3,611,599 Patented Get. 12, 1971 Details of the improved visual aid device will be more readily understood from a consideration of the following description having reference to the accompanying drawing, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated with the various parts thereof identified by suitable reference characters in the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the visual aid device showing a typical orientation of a display or backing panel for use with display sheets partly stored at the rear and partly exposed at the front of the device.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged end view of the upper portion of the device as shown in FIG. 1 with part of the structure broken away and in section.

FIG. 3 is a much enlarged fragmentary sectional view substantially on the broken line 3-3 of FIG. 2 showing details of the partitioning or guide means of the device.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the structure shown in FIG. 3 illustrating a modified structure of the partitioning means.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view through the front edge of a display sheet.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view through the rear edge of a display sheet.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged and fragmentary view of the bottom edge of the display panel as shown in FIG. 1 indicating the structure of associated spacing and support means.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the visual aid device 10 comprises a display panel 11 which in use is preferably oriented in a position slightly inclined from the vertical as shown in FIG. 2 having mounted at the upper end 12 thereof a guide assemblage 13 of general arcuate contour for slidably supporting a plurality of display sheets 15 for movement between a rearward stored position as indicated at 15A in FIG. 1 to a forward use position as indicated at 15B. The arcuate guide assemblage 13 is so proportioned and oriented as to dispose one end 16 thereof through which the stored sheets 15A emerge in a substantially horizontal position and a forward end 17 through which the used sheets 15B emerge at an angle of about with respect to the end 16. The display panel 11 has at the upper portion thereof adjacent the upper end 12 a short portion 18 of sharper inclination which joins the main inclined portion 11 in a smoothly rounded curve 19; and as clearly shown in F IG. 2, the portion 18 is of a length to protrude somewhat forwardly of the end 17 of the guide assemblage. This relative proportion of parts is important to be sure that any and all forwardly extended display sheets 15B will bear against the rounded surface 19 to thereby assure bearing contact of the main portion of the extended sheets 15B with the inclined panel 11 below the curved portion 19.

As indicated in the broken section of FIG. 2 and more clearly shown in the enlarged cross-section of FIG. 3, the guide assemblage comprises a plurality of concentrically oriented shallow channeled guides 20 comprising enlarged central portions 21 which are flat in the end-to-end dimension and curved in the front-to-rear dimension as illustrated and which have upturned flanges 22 at edges thereof. The guides 20 are of uniform width to permit stacking by the lower surface of the main portion 21 resting on the upper surfaces of the flanges 22 of the next lower guide. In order to facilitate this stacking of the guides, means is preferably provided for permitting at least partial interlock of one guide with the other. Thus, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the lower surface on the main portion 21 can have shallow grooves or cutouts 23 at the ends thereof to receive upper edges of the flanges 22. In such event, the surface of the upper end 12 of the display panel will suitably have aligning projections 24 at the ends thereof to interflt with the cutouts 23. It should be understood, however, that the interfitting means between the guides 20 and between the top 12 of the display panel and the lowermost guide 20, can be shaped and contoured in various ways; and an effective interlock can be provided as shown in FIG. 4 by a recessed V contour 23' at the lower portion of the flanges 22 interfitting with a projecting V contour 22' at the upper edges of the flanges 22 and with a projecting V contour 24' on the upper end 12 of the display panel.

The several guides 20, the lowermost of which is in direct engagement with the upper end 12 of the display panel, have progressively differing but essentially concentric curvatures; and it should be understood that a substantial number of guides 20 can be included in a single assemblage 13. A practical number will generally be about 8-12, but this number could be substantially increased in special uses and adaptations of the device.

Above the outermost guide 20 is a connecting and clos ure member 25 having a mating curvature, and the closure member 25 and aligned guides 20 are secured to the upper end 12 of the display panel by end plates 26 having peripheral flanges 27 along the ends 16 and 17 of the assemblage as shown in FIG. 2. The end plates 26 are secured to the upper end 12 of the display panel and to the closure member 25 by suitable screws or fasteners 26. It will be noted that the flange 27 should protrude from the end plate 26 a distance slightly less than the thickness of the guide flanges 22 as clearly shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing. The purpose of this is to avoid damage to the edges of the sheets 15 as they slide through the device such as would be likely to occur if the flanges 27 projected beyond the thickness of the flanges 22.

As shown on an enlarged scale on FIG. 3, the sheets 15 may have treated surfaces 15' to permit repeated application and removal of marking materials such as washable inks and the like. It is to be understood, however, that the particular make-up of the sheets 15 can be varied considerably and, in fact, a number of different type sheets can be assembled in a single device. Typical sheet materials can include paper, reinforced paper, fabric, plastic sheeting, reinforced plastic sheeting, or any of these with special surface coatings. The height of the flanges 22 and hence the spacing between the main portions 21 of successi've guides should be such as to allow substantial clearance with the particular sheet material used in the display sheets 15. In fact, for ease of assembly and interchange, it is desirable that this spacing be at least of the order of 1% to 2 times the thickness of the sheets 15'. g The forward edges of the sheets 15 have longitudinal stiffening and stop members 28, as more clearly shown in FIG. of the drawing, which suitably include downwardly extending index tabs 29 to facilitate selection among a plurality of display sheets 15. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 6, the rear edges A of the display sheets include stiffening and stop members 30 having means as diagrammatically indicated at 31 for appropriately weighting the same. It will be understood that such weighting can be achieved by selection of a relatively heavy material for the stiffening member 30 or by imbedding a heavier core 31 in a body of plastic or other lightweight material. The extent of weighting of the rear edges 15A should not be excessive, but merely enough to cause sheets 15 to slide toward the stored position when the forward edges 15A thereof are lifted from the inclined support 11 to be clear of the curved portion 19 thereof.

The thickness of the stiffening and stop members 28 and 30 should be slightly greater than the height of the flanges 22 of the guides so that the stop members cannot enter the spacing therebetween. At the same time, it should be noted that excess thickness in the members 28 and should be avoided in order to permit free movement of adjacent stiffening members past each other, particularly in the case of the stiffening members 30 when in the stored position at the rear of the assemblage as shown in FIG. 1.

The visual aid device is preferably provided with a carrying handle or bail 32 pivotally mounted in the upper end 12 of the display panel and providing means as indicated in the dotted line shown in FIG. 2 for hanging the assemblage by means of a hook 33 to a wall or other vertical support 34. In some uses of the device, it will be desirable to employ a vertical support or tripod 35 in which event appropriate angular orientation of the dis play panel 11 can be provided by an appropriate adaptor at the rear surface thereof as indicated by the Wedge 36 and clamp bolts 37 for engaging the upper end of the tripod 35. It is to be understood, however, that any type of adaptor can be used to provide this desired angular orientation.

As earlier mentioned, it may be desirable at times to hang the assemblage from a wall or vertical support. In such event, orientation of the panel 11 can be controlled by spacer members 38 movably secured to the bottom of the panel 11 as shown in FIG. 1. The spacers 38 can be members pivotally coupled to the panel or members completely detachable therefrom. By way of illustration, there is shown in FIG. 7 a spacer 38 having a screw member 39 imbedded therein and in threaded engagement with one leg 40 of a U bracket 41, which by rotation of the spacer 38 permits firm clamping engagement with the lower edge of the panel 11.

It will also be apparent that the arrangement of the spacers 38 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7 permits one further means for supporting the assemblage for use, in that the spacers 38 can rest upon a desk or other horizontal surface and thereby effectively support the assemblage with the panel 11 in the desired inclined position.

The structural materials of the visual aid device can be substantially varied in different uses and adaptations of the device. The guides 20, for example, can be formed of sheet metal or various plastic materials. It will also be apparent that the size can be varied within wide limits. The device can be very practical, for example, for salesmen and the like if made up to fit within a conventional briefcase. On the other hand, for schools and lecture halls and similar use with large audiences, the size of the display panel 11 and the sheets 15 could easily be as large as 3 by 5 feet or even larger. Regardless of the size, however, it will be apparent that the concentric guides for the sliding sheets 15 provide unusual case not only in the manipulating of sheets from the stored position to the use position, but in the selection and interchange of sheets.

Various changes and modifications in the visual aid device as herein described may occur to those skilled in the art, and to the extent that such changes and modifications are embraced by the appended claims, it is to be understood that they constitute part of the present invention.

I claim.

1. A visual aid device comprising a backing member having an enlarged planar panel portion, means associated with said backing member for supporting the same in a generally vertical and slightly inclined position when in use, a rearwardly extending portion at the top of said backing member, said rearwardly extending portion supporting a plurality of concentric guide members which have horizontal orientation in a side to side direction and upwarly convex orientation in a front to rear direction with respect to said backing member, said guides being closely spaced to provide restricted passages therebetween, enlarged flexible display sheets slidably mounted in said passages and adapted in a forwardly oriented position to overlie the front surface of said backing member and in a rearwardly extended position to be concealed behind said backing member, forward and rear edges of each display sheet having stiffening members, and said stiffening members being larger than said passages, whereby said stiffening members also act as stop members limit ing forward and rearward movement of said sheets.

2. A visual aid device as defined in claim 1 wherein rear portions of said guides are disposed substantially horizontally permitting stored sheets to hang vertically therefrom, and the front portions of said guides are disposed at a forwardly projecting angle of about 135 to said rear portion.

3. A visual aid device as defined in claim 1 wherein said rearwardly extending portion is narrow and angularly disposed, and joins the panel port on of said backing member in a smoothly curved surface.

4. A visual aid device as defined in claim 3 wherein rear portions of said guides are disposed substantially horizontally permitting stored sheets to hang vertically therefrom, and the front portions of said guides are disposed at a forwardly projecting angle of about 135 to said rear portion, said front portion of the guides being disposed rearwardly of the curved surface between the panel portion and rearwardly extending portion of said backing member.

5. A visual aid device as defined in claim 1 wherein said guides are shallow channelled members having upwardly extending flanges at the ends thereof, and interfitting means at upper and lower portions of said flanges facilitating the stacking of said guides.

6. A visual aid device as defined in claim 5 wherein said guides are secured together and to said backing member by means of detachable end plates having flanges projecting from the edges thereof a distance less than the thickness of the flanges on said guides.

7. A visual aid device as defined in claim 5 wherein the height of said flanges is such as to provide a spacing between said guides sufficient to permit free sliding movement of said sheets therethrough while preventing entry of said stiffening stop members.

8. A visual aid device as defined in claim 1 wherein the stiflening stop members at the rear of said sheets are weighted.

9. A visual aid device as defined in claim 1 wherein the stiffening stop members at the front of said sheets include projecting index means.

10. A visual aid device as defined in claim 1 having suspending means pivotally coupled thereto at the junc- 6 ture of said guides and backing member adapted for carrying and suspending said device.

111. A visual aid device as defined in claim 10 having adjustable means at the lower portion of said backing member and projecting rearwardly therefrom providing a dual function of acting as spacers when the device is suspended against a vertical surface and supports when the device is rested on a horizontal surface.

12. A visual aid device as defined in claim 10 wherein the rear surface of said backing member includes adaptor means for angularly mounting said device in connection with a columnar support.

13. A visual aid device as defined in claim 1 wherein the support for said guides comprises end plates projecting upwardly from said upper portion of the backing member.

14. A visual aid device as defined in claim 1 wherein the support for said guides comprises end plates projecting upwardly from said upper portion of the backing member, and a closure and connecting member overlying the outermost guide between said end plates.

15. A visual aid device as defined in claim 1 wherein the support for said guides comprises end plates projecting upwardly from said upper portion of the backing member, a closure and connecting; member overlying the outermost guide between said end plates, and means detachably securing said end plates to said backing member and connecting member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1879 Grant 40-83 3/1965 Douthit 3517 US. Cl. X.R. 40-78 

